La Parva Ski Resort
Lo Barnechea, Metropolitan
Located around 32 miles (50 kilometers) from the Chilean capital, Santiago, La Parva Ski Resort offers the opportunity to enjoy a day of skiing without traveling far from the city. In the Andes mountain range, 9,000 feet (2,750 meters) above sea level offers sweeping views of the Santiago Valley and endless powder skiing.
The basics
La Parva is one of the Tres Valles (Three Valleys) ski areas, along with El Colorado and Valle Nevado. Relative to these resorts, La Parva ski resort gets few international visitors and is frequented by well-to-do families from Santiago.
La Parva has a ski area of 24 miles (38 kilometers) spread across 30 slopes, the largest of which is 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long. There are 14 ski lifts, which include two quadruple-chair lifts, one triple-chair lift, one double-chair lift, and 10 ski lifts. The resort has a team of instructors who provide lessons to adults and children. Passes are available to buy online, and several Santiago tour operators offer transfers to and from the resort.
Things to know before you go
Overnight accommodation is available at the resort.
If you don’t have your own equipment, you can rent it at the resort, but reservations are recommended.
La Parva Ski Center has a restaurant serving international food.
Bring snow gloves, sunscreen, sunglasses, warm clothes, and water.
How to get there
La Parva Ski Resort is around a 1.5-hour drive east of Santiago via the Farellones Road. Note that on weekends and holidays, the road is one-way for drivers heading uphill from morning until mid-afternoon and only open to downhill traffic from late afternoon until the evening. Two-way traffic is possible at other times.
When to get there
Ski season at La Parva typically opens in early June and closes in mid-October. June is typically the snowiest month. It's mainly a weekend ski destination, so if you dream of nearly no lines on fresh Andean powder, visit during the week. Visitors can ride mountain bike trails around the resort in the summer.
Valle Nevado
Just a 25-minute drive from La Parva, Valle Nevado Ski Resort lures experienced skiers to its 7,000 acres (2,832 hectares) of skiable powder. Valle Nevado is one of South America’s largest ski centers and a training ground for ski teams from the US, Austria, Canada, and Norway. The resort has plenty of top-notch facilities for casual skiers, including gourmet dining, nightlife, and various accommodation options.
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